Acoustics are guitars too!

Using electric guitar strings on an acoustic?! Isn

I'm not out to offend anyone here but I'd just like to here some other opinions.

Personally I think people who play an acoustic with electric guitar strings do so because they can't actually play an acoustic. You see an acoustic should have a nice set of heavy strings on it for the best sound. However using electric guitar strings is the same as using incredibly light acoustic strings which give a fairly dull tone in comparison with heavy strings.

The argument put forward by people that put electric guitar strings on an acoustic is that they bend more easily. Which, yes is true but you can still bend proper acoustic strings it just is a little bit harder. Which then brings me back to the fact that it's cheating. You can't play your instrument if you have to put electric strings.

Some people may say that people with different playing styles would play with different strings. But even so, you don't see professional acoustic guitarists using different strings for different styles so why should we. Surely if you were to use a proper set of acoustic guitar strings you would eventually be able to do exactly the same things as you would with electric guitar strings, and... have the added bonus of playing any other guitar with lighter strings would be so easy.

Anyway lets hear your thoughts on it.

I'm not out to offend anyone here but I'd just like to here some other opinions.

Personally I think people who play an acoustic with electric guitar strings do so because they can't actually play an acoustic. You see an acoustic should have a nice set of heavy strings on it for the best sound. However using electric guitar strings is the same as using incredibly light acoustic strings which give a fairly dull tone in comparison with heavy strings.

The argument put forward by people that put electric guitar strings on an acoustic is that they bend more easily. Which, yes is true but you can still bend proper acoustic strings it just is a little bit harder. Which then brings me back to the fact that it's cheating. You can't play your instrument if you have to put electric strings.

Some people may say that people with different playing styles would play with different strings. But even so, you don't see professional acoustic guitarists using different strings for different styles so why should we. Surely if you were to use a proper set of acoustic guitar strings you would eventually be able to do exactly the same things as you would with electric guitar strings, and... have the added bonus of playing any other guitar with lighter strings would be so easy.

i agree with james. the whole point of playing an acoustic is to be good and know that your finger can actually take the pressure of the string. however i dont like bending on an acoustic, not because its but because of the sound... and would using electric string on an acoustic make the really crappy? kind of reminds me of people who use nylon strings because copper strings hurt their fingers.

i agree with james. the whole point of playing an acoustic is to be good and know that your finger can actually take the pressure of the string. however i dont like bending on an acoustic, not because its but because of the sound... and would using electric string on an acoustic make the really crappy? kind of reminds me of people who use nylon strings because copper strings hurt their fingers.

Johnmayergal wrote on May 27th, 2010 at 2:58pm :kind of reminds me of people who use nylon strings because copper strings hurt their fingers.

Nylon string/classical guitars are completely different to steel string acoustic guitars, not to mention a very different sound. People who play classical guitars are not "cheating" because they're using nylon strings.
Or are you talking about people who put nylon strings on a steel string acoustic? Cos that's messed up....

[QUOTE u='Johnmayergal' d='2010-05-27 14:58:35']kind of reminds me of people who use nylon strings because copper strings hurt their fingers.[/QUOTE]
Nylon string/classical guitars are completely different to steel string acoustic guitars, not to mention a very different sound. People who play classical guitars are not "cheating" because they're using nylon strings.
Or are you talking about people who put nylon strings on a steel string acoustic? Cos that's messed up....

I use electric strings sometimes. I use what i have around. Sure the sound suffers a bit but if i am just practicing and my old strings just arent cutting it, i would rather throw my hybrid slinkys on rather take a 30 minute bus ride to the guitar store.

I use electric strings sometimes. I use what i have around. Sure the sound suffers a bit but if i am just practicing and my old strings just arent cutting it, i would rather throw my hybrid slinkys on rather take a 30 minute bus ride to the guitar store.